Packing Tips

Do you want to become a pro at packing? Well, maybe make your job easier and save a few dollars? Check out our Packing Tips page for a lot of great ideas.

The Right Size Box

Use the right size box for the items you are packing. Heavy things should be in smaller boxes. This will help prevent the box from bursting open and there will be less risk of injury from picking up a box that is too heavy. Packing the box full so there is no empty space will help prevent shifting which is the major cause of damage when you are moving your items. We also sell special boxes for pictures, mirrors, lamps and other special items. Stop by our office and we will help you select the right size boxes for your job.

Furniture Blankets

Furniture blankets and paper pads can help protect your furniture. Furniture blankets will protect your furniture from rubbing against other things during transit. If you are going to stack a night stand on top of a dresser in storage you may want to place a paper pad between the two items to help prevent scratching.

Fragile Items

Fragile items should be cushioned to prevent movement within the box or against other items. Bubble wrap®, packing peanuts and wrapping paper are good choices for this. To hold the bubble wrap® or wrapping paper in place, we suggest using stretch wrap. When you unpack, this will be easier to remove than packing tape reducing the chance of damaging your fragile item. Be sure to use a sturdy box to prevent your fragile items from being crushed. Stacking the lighter and/or fragile items at the top will also help prevent crushing.

Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap® is great for filling space in boxes to prevent shifting while your belongings are in transit. It will also cushion items from rubbing against each other.

Glasses & China

We offer a number of ways to help keep your glasses and china safe. Our Dish Kit has foam pouches and cell dividers to make packing very easy. Just slide your dishes into the foam pouch and place inside the cell dividers. The Glass Kit works the same way with foam pouches and cell dividers. Both of these kits fit inside our small moving box. We also offer a larger, double walled, dish pack box. It comes with cell dividers to make three levels. Just wrap your china and glasses with wrapping paper and place inside the cell dividers. Remember to add extra wrapping paper or bubble wrap® to fill any voids. This will prevent unwanted movement which is the biggest cause of damage while in transit.

Books

Books get very heavy, so it is best to use a small box. To protect the spines of your books, it is better to pack them flat. It is best not to pack other items in the same box as your books, especially if those items are fragile.

Closets and Bedding

Wardrobe boxes are one of the best ways to store the clothes from your closet. Simply move the clothes on their hangers from the closet to the wardrobe box. The wardrobe box is easily stored and they can be stacked in the storage unit. When you move to your new home, the clothes move easily from the wardrobe box into the new closet. Save the wardrobe boxes and you can use them to store out of season clothing. Bed linens can be stored inside dresser drawers. Sometimes there is also room at the bottom of wardrobe boxes for linens, shoes, purses or other things from your closet.

Tables and Furniture

Furniture and tables can be made more storage friendly with a bit of disassembly. Bed frames come apart and mattresses stacked up against a wall take up very little room. Tables also stack nicely against a wall when table legs can be removed. Sofas, depending on their construction, can be stood on end to minimize the space they use. Dressers can be stacked on top of each other. Use the drawers for clothing or fragile items. Hold the drawers closed with stretch wrap which has no adhesive to damage the surface.

Appliances

Space inside appliances can be used for extra storage. Fragile items can sometimes be stored inside refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, dish washers and driers. Take care if there are exposed light bulbs or other things that are subject to easy damage. Make sure the appliances are clean and the water is drained from washers or refrigerators before moving and storing. Use stretch wrap to keep doors and drawers closed. Stretch wrap has no adhesive to stick to or damage your appliances and is easy to remove. Most appliances are sturdy enough that you can stack boxes and other items on top of them. Stack as high as you can to make the best use of your storage space.

Seasonal Decorations

Packing your seasonal decorations in their original packages is usually best. Holiday lights can be wrapped around a strip of cardboard to help prevent tangling. Mark the boxes with the appropriate holiday. This will make it easy to group them. You don't want to be looking through boxes of Halloween decorations when you are really looking for Christmas decorations.

Tools and Equipment

A rag with some machine oil can be used to wipe the surfaces of tools and other equipment to help prevent rusting. A trash can is good for keeping shovels, rakes, brooms and similar tools organized, Wrap them in stretch wrap to keep them from moving around. Check your owner’s manual if you are storing gas powered tools. It is often good to add a gasoline stabilizer to keep the carburetor and gas lines from gumming up.